The present invention relates to a driver leg restraint apparatus for restraining driver's legs in a car crash, and particularly to a leg restraint apparatus of a driver in a driver's seat.
A knee airbag apparatus for restraining the driver's legs in a car crash is provided in a lower side of a steering column in a car. In a car crash, a gas generator discharges the gas, which is supplied to the airbag. Then the airbag is inflated and deployed between an interior panel and the driver's legs, whereby both driver legs are restricted.
In Japanese Unexamined Application Publication No. 2004-284416, in order to prevent the damage caused when a key inserted into a key cylinder of the steering column cover or a key holder thereof directly contacts an airbag during inflation, a protection cloth (referred to as reinforcing cloth 53 in the same publication) is provided on an external surface of the air bag to prevent the airbag from damaging.
The object of the present invention is to improve the protection characteristic of an airbag by means of a protection cloth in a driver leg restraint apparatus having the protection cloth, for protecting the airbag inflated and deployed in a lower side of a steering column (steering column cover) from a key holder and such.